Applying wound covering to elastic thread



May 30 1950 A. G. sElFRlED APPLYING WUND COVERING TO ELASTIC THREAD iledDeo. 12, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /IZI TM5 im m u fw .m

May 30, 1950 A. G. sElFRlED 2,509,372

APPLYING WOUND COVERING T0 ELASTIC THREAD Filed D'ec. 12. 194s 3sheets-sheet 2 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 272/517" ZUL May 30, 1950 A. G. sElFRIEDAPPLYING WOUND COVERING T0 ELASTIC THREAD Filed Dec. 12, 194e PatentedMay 30, 1950 APPLYING WOUND COVERING T ELASTIC THREAD Anton G.Scifi-led, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 12, 1946,Serial No. 715,881

4 Claims.

This invention relates to applying wound coverings about elastic threadand is especially useful in the application of windings of textilematerial about fine threads of elastic rubber or other rubber-likematerial.

In the manufacture of textile covered rubber thread it has beendesirable to provide a stretchable covering of cotton, rayon, silk orsimilar textile threads wound helically about a ne filament of rubber orother elastic rubber-like material in layers of diiferent angular pitch.A great many threads may simultaneously be covered -under the care of asingle operator and machines for such operations have usually beenprovided with a great number of fliers for handling a multiplicity ofthreads.

Heretofore diiculties have been experienced in simultaneously drivingthe fliers at uniform speeds especially in starting and stopping theiers. Other difculties have been encountered in stopping and startingindividual fliers such as becomes necessary due to breaking of threads.Still further difficulty has been encountered due to change in diameterof the reels of covering material on the fliers causing change in thelay of the covering about the rubber thread.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the foregoing and otherdifticulties.

Other objects are to provide for positive driving of the fliers, toprovide a single source of driving power for the supply, the iers andthe wind-up reels, to provide for driving the fliers first frictionallyto substantially the normal velocity and then positively at the normalvelocity, to provide for selectively disconnecting the fliers from thesource of power, and to provide for variable driving of the supply andthe wind-up reels to provide uniform angular disposition of the coveringupon the rubber thread.

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance withand embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the windup mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus, as seen from the left inFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus as seen from the right ofFig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the fliers and its drivingconnections. parts being broken away and parts shown in section.

Referring to the drawings. these show apparatus for covering two rubberthreads, it being understood that in production apparatus. amultiplicity of threads may be covered by a single apparatus. A frame I0has vertical frame members I I, I2, I3, I4 secured together bylongitudinal rails I5, I6 on which similar geared transmission units I1,I8 are mounted in vertical alignment for driving the fliers I9, I9a.

Each geared transmission unit, as illustrated in Fig. 5, has a housing20 in which a worm 2I of high pitch is mounted with its axis verticallysupported on ball bearings 22. The worm has an axial bore whichsurrounds a hollow shaft 23 extending therethrough. A horizontal shaft24 is also journaled in the housing and has a worm wheel 25 securedthereto and engaging the worm 2|. The hollow shaft 23 has a collar 2Esecured to it near its upper end by set .screws 21.4 A flange 28 isfixed to collar 26 and has a pair of driving pins 29 secured thereto. Aflange 3D is fixed to the worm 2i and has sockets 31| for receiving thetapered ends of the drive pins for positively driving the flange 28 fromthe worm 2 I.

A cheese 35 of covering material wound on a paper tube 36 is mountedabout collar 26 against flange 2B and is held frictionally thereon bythe collar. A second flange 31 rests on the upper end of the cheese andhas a centering collar 38 thereon which fits Within the upper end of thepaper tube 36 and about shaft 23. An empty tube may be removed andreplaced by a full tube by removing the flange 31. A guide bushing 40has a frictional fit in the bore of shaft 23 and carries a guide disc4I. A flier arm 42 comprising a thin apertured disc of vulcanized fiberfor surrounding the guide bushing 40 and a wire arm having a pigtailguide 48 at its cuter end and fixed to the ber disc, is frictionallyheld against the ange 31 by a weighted loose collar. This permits thearm to rotate relative to the cheese under light frictional drag duringrotation of the cheese about the rubber thread.

The rubber thread 50 is drawn upwardly through the bore of the shaft 23during the winding operation and the covering material 5I is unwoundfrom the cheese 35 and is guided by the arm 42 and disc 4I as it isWound onto the rubber thread.

An important feature of the invention ls in the provision of means fordriving the flier frictionally until it attains the high speed of itsdriver and thereafter driving it positively.

For driving the flier frictionally, a clutch disc 52 is nxed to shaft 23and is opposed tc a clutch member 53 slideably mounted on the upper endof Worm 2|. Clutch member 53 has a friction face 54 and is retained onthe worm by springpressed balls 55 engaging in dumb-bell shaped cavities56 in the worm. A collar 51 is supported below the clutch member 53 andacts as a clutch shifter. Shaft 23 is formed at its lower end with abulbed enlargement 58 whereby it may be engaged by a removable shifter59.

When the shaft 23 is raised by the shifter 59, the driving pins 29 areraised from the sockets 3| and the clutch member 53 is contacted by thecollar 51 and raised so that its retainer balls 55 engage the upper partof the dumb-bell depressions holding the flier at its disengagedposition where the cheese tube may be removed and replaced by a loadedtube. As upward pressure of the shifter 59 is released, the clutchmember 53 stays at its upper position, the clutch member 52 is pressedthereagainst by the weight of the cheese and the flier is frictionallydriven. When the flier attainsfull speed, the shaft 23 is lowered by theshifter 59, thereby engaging the driving pins 29 with the disc 30, anddriving the flier positively. A latch 60 is pivotally mounted on thehousing and may be manually engaged under the flange 28 to hold theflier in disengaged position while making the change. Fliers I9, I9a andtheir drivers I1, I8 are of the same construction except that the ratioof gearing may be different to apply successive coverings as differentangular advance or lay and the fliers I9 and I9a are driven in oppositedirections to lay coverings of crossed windings.

For feeding the rubber thread to the covering mechanism. a pair ofcradle rolls 65, 66 are fixed to horizontal shafts 61, 68 respectivelywhich extend across the lower part of the frame and are journaledthereon, there being one pair of cradle rolls beneath each flier |9. Aroll 69 of rubber thread is placed on the cradle rolls and its thread 50is led under a fixed guide bar 1| in vertical alignment with the axis ofthe flier I 9. The cradle rolls are power-driven as hereinafterdescribed.

For withdrawing the covered rubber thread from the flier |9a, ahorizontally disposed power driven shaft 12 is journaled in the frameand has two grooved pulleys 13, 14 flxed thereto above each flier |9a,the pulley 13 being positioned with its groove in alignment with theaxis of the flier. A shaft 'I5 is also journaled in the frame parallelto shaft 12 and is driven therefrom by sprockets 16, 11 engaging a chain18. The covered thread is led about the large pulley 13, then about theshaft 15 and then about the small pulley 14 whereby enough friction isdeveloped tc pull the thread from the supply roll through the fliers.

A reel 80 for winding up the covered thread is removably mounted inchucks 8|, 82 rotatably supported by the frame. One of the chucks 8| isdriven by a chain 83 and sprockets 84, 85 from a shaft 86. Shaft 86 isin turn driven from shaft 12 by a gear 81 on shaft 12 engaging a gear 88rotatable about a stub shaft 89 and a gear 90 fixed to gear 88 andengaging a gear 9| on shaft 86. Shaft 12 is driven in a mannerhereinafter described.

For distributing the covered thread on the reel 80, a pair of verticallydisposed shafts 95, 96 are journaled on the frame. Arms 91, 98 are fixedthereto respectively and their outer ends are pivotally connected to atransverse bar 99 having pigtails |00 for guiding the threads. A crankpin |0| is fixed to sprocket 84 and a connecting rod |02 operatedthereby is connected to an arm |03 fixed to shaft 95. The arrangement issuch that the transverse bar is moved laterally to distribute the threadon the reel as the reel is rotated.

It is also a feature of the invention to drive all of the fliers, thesupply rolls and the wind-up reels from a single source 4of power andthereby to provide uniform speed throughout. To this end, a motor |05 isprovided on a platform extension |06 of the frame and a pair of variablespeed transmission units |01, |08 are provided between the motor and thedriven mechanism. The drive shafts 24 of the geared transmissions offliers I9, |9a are connected to each other in series by flexiblecouplings |09 with a driving shaft ||0 which is driven from motor |05 bya, chain III and sprockets H2, H3. A second sprocket ||4 on the shaft ofmotor I 05 drives a sprocket ||5 on the input shaft II 6 of speedtransmission |08 through a chain |I1. The output shaft ||6a of thetransmission |08 carries gear |04 which meshes with a gear I04a on ashaft ||8. Shaft I|8 has a sprocket ||9 secured thereto which drives asprocket |20 on a shaft journaled on the frame through a chain |2I. Thisarrangement provides for driving the fliers |9a in the oppositedirection to the direction of flier I9. Sprocket I 20 is connected tofliers |9a by a flexible coupling |22 and similar couplings connect thedrive shafts of fliers |90. to each other to drive them in unison. Thearrangement is such that by adjustment of the transmission |08 throughhand wheel |23 thereon, the fliers |9a may be driven at a differentspeed with relation to fliers I9. This is desirable where the angularpitch of one layer of the covering is to be different than that ofanother layer. One adjustment of transmission |08 fixes the desiredratio which continues throughout a run of thread. A dial |6| on thetransmission |08 indicates the setting thereof.

The second variable speed transmission |01 is employed to adjust thespeed of travel of the rubber thread through the fliers. It is driven bya sprocket |24 fixed to shaft I8 and connected by a chain |25 to asprocket |26 on the input shaft |21 of the transmission. Output shaft|28 is connected to a speed reducer I 29 which has a sprocket |30connected by a chain I3| to a sprocket |32 flxed to shaft 68 whichdrives the cradle rolls. Shaft 68 has a gear |35 fixed thereto whichmeshes with a gear |36 rotatable about a stub shaft |31. A sprocket |38is fixed to gear |36 and engages a chain |39 which drives a sprocket |40rotatably mounted on a stub shaft |4I. A sprocket |42 is fixed tosprocket |40 and drives shaft 12 through a chain |43 engaging sprocket16. The arrangement is such that the surface speed of cradle rolls 65,66 and the pulling pulleys 13 is uniform and the rubber thread proceedsfrom one to the other with substantially no change of stretch, the speedof travel -of the rubber thread being controlled by the variable speedtransi mission |01.

During the covering operation, the amount of covering material on theflier spools gradually decreases with a reduction in diameter of thema.- terial on the spools which would normally result in a change in thelay of the covering. The spools hold a considerable amount of coveringordinarily taking a run of eight hours to empty them. To provideconstant compensation for such change in the lay is an important featureof the invention, and for this purpose a sprocket |50 is secured to aratchet |50 which is fixed to the conasoasva trol shaft iii of thevariable transmission |01.

'An electric motor |52 is connected through a series of geared speedreducers |53, |54 to a sprocket i55 which engages a chain |56 meshingwith sprocket i 50. The arrangement is such that the speed of travel ofthe rubber thread through the fliers is gradually changed throughout therun from full spools on the flier to empty ones and the change in speedis such as to maintain the lay of the coverings at a desired angle. Thevariable speed transmission |01 is provided with a hand wheel i60 fixedto shaft |5| and sprocket |50 is secured to the shaft by a ratchet |50'permitting free turning in one direction so that the transmission can beadjusted at the end of a run to starting position.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The variable speedtransmission |08 is set for the desired speed ratio of the fliers I9 andI 9a. The transmission |01 is set at its starting position. Spools 69 ofrubber thread are placed on the cradle rolls and the ends of the threadsare threaded through the fliers and about the pulling rolls to thereels. A full spoolof covering material has previously been placed oneach flier, the spools all being filled to the same diameter. The endsof the covering material are tied to the rubber threads. The motors and|52 are then started and no attention of the operator is required exceptto watch for broken threads. If a flier spool is to be stopped, theoperator raises the shaft 23 by use of the shifter 59 and stops theflier long enough to tie in the thread. When a long delay is necessarythe entire apparatus may be stopped by stopping the motors |05 and |52and, due to the geared-drive of the fliers, stopping and starting of theentire bank of iliers is accomplished simultaneously.

While the apparatus has been shown as one for covering two threads, inpractice many threads are covered simultaneously by a single machine.

e the term rubber thread is used in this description it is intended toinclude elastic threads of soft vulcanized rubber either natural ofsynthetic, or other materials having the physical characteristics ofrubber.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding a covering about an elastic thread, saidapparatus comprising an elastic thread supply, winding means. a ilier between said supply and said winding means, a single driving means forsaid supply, said winding means and said flier, said driving meansincluding a variable speed changer between said supply and said windingmeans collectively and said iiier, and a second driving means providingcontinuous manipulation of said speed changer to continuously change thespeed ratio of said supply and said winding means with relation to thespeed of said flier throughout a covering operation so that uniformangularity of lay of the covering and uniform stretch characteristics ofthe covered thread are maintained throughout the length of the coveredthread.

2. Apparatus for winding a covering about an elastic thread, saidapparatus comprising an elastic thread supply, winding means, a iiierbetween said supply and said winding means, a single driving means forsaid supply', said winding means and said iiier, said driving meansincluding a variable speed changer between said supply and said windingmeans collectively and said flier, and a second driving means providingcontinuous manipulation of said speed changer to continuously change thespeed ratio of said I supply and said winding means with relation to thespeed of said ier throughout a covering operation, said last-named meanscomprising a variable speed transmission having a speed control shaftand motor means for driving said shaft so that uniform angularity of layof the covering and uniform stretch characteristics of the coveredthread are maintained throughout the length of the covered thread.

' 3. Apparatus for winding a covering about an elastic thread, saidapparatus comprising an elastic thread supply, winding means, a flier between said supply and said winding means, a single driving means forsaid supply,I said winding means and said ier. said driving meansincluding a variable speed changer between said supply and said windingmeans collectively and said iiier, and a second driving means providingcontinuous manipulation of said speed changer to continuously change thespeed ratio of said supply and said winding means with relation to thespeed of said nier throughout a covering operation, said last-namedmeans comprising a variable speed transmission having a speed controlshaft, a constant speed motor, and speed reducer means connecting saidspeed control shaft to said motor so that uniform angularity of lay ofthe covering and uniform stretch characteristics of the covered threadare maintained throughout the length of the covered thread.

4. Apparatus for winding a. covering about an elastic thread, saidapparatus comprising a plurality of covering fliers through whichelastic thread is drawn from a supply to a windup, said apparatuscomprising a single drawing means for said supply, said iiiers and saidwindup, said driving means including a variable speed changer betweensaid supply and said winding means collectively and said flier, saidspeed changer having a control shaft for changing its driving ratio, anda second driving means for continuously driving said control shaft ofsaid speed changer to continuously change the speed ratio of said supplyand said windup with relation to the speed of said filers throughout acovering operation so that uniform angularity of lay of the covering anduniform stretch characteristics of the covered thread are maintainedthroughout the length of the covered thread.

ANTON G. SEIFRIED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,182,591 Smith May 9, 19162,224,110 Walsh Dec. 3, 1940 2,247,481 Cooper July 1, 1941 2,302,543Gift, Jr., et al. Nov. 17, 1942

